The recent strong winds that swept through southern portions of the province prompting several evacuations when wildfires started to spread kept firefighters on their toes.
Sundre's department was no exception.
On Tuesday, Oct. 17, local volunteers found themselves responding to five calls throughout the day. The first came in that morning when Sundre firefighters investigated reports of billowing smoke, which was determined to have been the result of a forest fire west of the Forestry Trunk Road, said Chief Marty Butts, adding Alberta Agriculture and Forestry crews were battling that blaze.
A second emergency call turned out to be a false alarm, but sustained strong winds caused two separate incidents of trees toppling over onto power lines, ensuing in grass fires the Sundre Fire Department was able to contain, he said.
The first was reported along Burnt Stick Lake Road, and responders were returning to the hall after handling that situation when another call reported a similar incident near Highway 584 and Rge. Rd. 71. Although that fire was in Alberta Agriculture and Forestry territory, Sundre firefighters assisted the provincial crews that were stretched thin, he said.
While that was happening, a fifth call reporting a motor vehicle rollover east of the Bearberry Saloon came in. The driver was extricated with the Jaws of Life and taken to hospital but expected to recover, he said.
